New phishing E-mails Hit IRS, Offering Tax Refund

According to recently released security news, another phishing e-mail, spoofing IRS (Internal Revenue Service) and offering a tax refund, is circulating over the Internet.

The e-mail informs the recipient that there is a tax refund waiting for him that has been determined on the basis of the last annual computation of his fiscal activity. Sometimes the e-mail messages even specify the refund sum, which is $189.60.

Security officials at IRS state that the sum is so large that it could draw the fraudulent e-mail recipient's attention and at the same time, it is so small that it could hardly make anyone to suspect it. In fact, the phishing e-mail even contains text "Section 497 (c) (15)" that makes it appear legitimate and one sent from the federal authority.

Moreover, there is an attachment inside the e-mail for the recipient to access a special form for the processing of the refund. However, on clicking it, one is led to a phishing website that asks for the user's financial and other personal information.

Furthermore, similar to earlier phishing scams, the current one too makes use of brand logos i.e. it uses the IRS logo, which lends the e-mail a touch of legitimacy.

Meanwhile, IRS says that any person getting an IRS e-mail or finding a doubtful site that claims to be of the IRS must forward that message or URL to the agency at phishing@irs.gov. Consumers can also contact IRS on 1-800-829-1040 to register a complaint or seek help.

However, IRS summed up that it wouldn't ever dispatch an e-mail to taxpayers regarding their amounts or request for personal information like bank account, pin, credit card or social security numbers, as reported by KansasCity on May 19, 2009.

The current IRS phishing campaign has been making the rounds for past many days. A similar campaign was reported during January 2009. In that, the scam e-mail offered $129.72 as tax refund that was to be deposited into the recipient's account but in return asked for personal and financial information of the user.